Choose Royal Alchemist
Choose Royal Alchemist if you want a Simulation experience. Royal Alchemist launched in 2020.
Royal Alchemist vs Nova Hearts
Royal Alchemist and Nova Hearts both land in Strategy, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, RPG on Steam. Royal Alchemist (2020) is 5 years older than Nova Hearts (2025). Royal Alchemist scores higher on Steam reviews (93.4% positive) than Nova Hearts (69.4% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Nova Hearts
Choose Nova Hearts if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Nova Hearts launched in 2025.
Both Royal Alchemist and Nova Hearts sit in Strategy and RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Royal Alchemist |  Nova Hearts | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.4% positive (243 reviews) | 69.4% positive (49 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Nifty Visuals | Lightbulb Crew |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, RPG on Steam.
- Royal Alchemist (2020) is 5 years older than Nova Hearts (2025).
- Royal Alchemist scores higher on Steam reviews (93.4% positive) than Nova Hearts (69.4% positive).
- Nova Hearts is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Royal Alchemist (19.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Nova Hearts is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Royal Alchemist has no Deck rating yet.
Royal Alchemist vs Nova Hearts — FAQ
- Should I play Royal Alchemist or Nova Hearts first?
- If you want chronology, Royal Alchemist (2020) came out before Nova Hearts (2025). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Royal Alchemist and Nova Hearts similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.